Instrument panel for closed liquid heaters



June 23, 1936.

H. s. WOODRUFF INSTRUMENT PANEL FOR CLOSED LIQUID HEATERS Filed Nov.15', 1933 M &

Page.

v Inventor:

Henna S.Wooi1-u1f,

His A ttor'neg.

Patented June 23, I936 UNlTED STATES INSTRUMENT PANEL FOR CLOSED LIQUIDHEATERS Henry S. Woctlrufl', Schenectady, N. Y., assignor to GeneralElectric Company, a corporation of New York Application November 15,1933, SerlalNo. 698,121

4 Claims.

My invention relates to boiler indicators and particularly to animproved instrument panel for a boiler which is adapted for either thegeneratlon of, steam or the production of hot water.

For a steam boiler it is ordinarily necessary to provide for indicationof the water level and the steam pressure in order that the boiler maybe maintained in a safe operating condition. Otherwise the water levelmay become so dangerously low as to uncover the crown sheet or the steampressure may become so dangerously high as to rupture the boiler shell.n the other.

ing system it is ordinarily necessary to provide for indication of thewater temperature and of the hydrostatic pressure within the boiler inorder to maintain the boiler in a safe operating condition. Otherwisethe water temperature may reach such a dangerously high value as tocreate steam or the hydrostatic pressure may becoe either so extremelyhigh as to rupture the boiler or so extremely low as to interfere withthe proper operation thereof. Consequently, when the same boiler may beused at one time in a steam heating system and at another time in a hotwater heating system, considerable dlfilculty arises in providing in anysimple manner for the proper indication of the necessary boilercharacteristics in each service.

It is the principal object of my present invention to provide animproved form of boiler indicating instrument arrangement which isreadily convertible for indicating either the water level and steampressure for steam heating service or water temperature and hydrostaticpressure for hot water heating service. My present invention isparticularly advantageous in that only one set of instrument connectingopenings are required in the boiler shell and the different indicatinginstruments connected thereto as required for both steam and hot waterservice are enabled to appear in proper registering relationship withthe same openings in the enclosing cover. This is of special advantagewhere the boiler is enclosed within a heat insulating casing.

My invention is described and illustrated herein in its preferredembodiment and as applied to a boiler furnace of the type described inmy copending application, Serial No. 676,651, filed June 20, 1933, butit is contemplated that the es sential characteristics of my inventionmay be applied with equal facility andadvantages in other embodimentsand to other types of liquid heaters.

A Clear understanding of the .Z'il an J in which I carry out myinvention and the advantageous results derived therefrom may be securedfrom the following description when read in connection with theaccompanying drawing in which: Fig. 1 is a front view of my improvedboiler inis being used for the generation of steam,

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the instrument panel of Fig. 1 in itspreferred embodiment showing the manner of mounting the elements thereofupon the wall of a boiler, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view along the line 33 of Fig. 2,v looking inthe direction of the arrows as shown. I

Fig. a is a front view of the instrument panel as it appears when theboiler is being used for the production of hot water,

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation showing the manner of mounting thevarious elements of the instrument panel as it is shown in Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a. sectional plan view along the line @5 of Fig. 5 looking inthe direction of the arrows there shown.

Referring particularly to Fig. 2 of the drawing, it represents'a portionof the side wall of a steam and hot water boiler which is provided withan external layer it of heat insulating material and an overall sheetmetal enclosing casing it.

An opening 82 is formed in the insulating material and the sheet metalcasing i2 opposite an. instrument mounting plate It which is joined tothe wall of the liquid heater by welding or other means as shown at M. Arecess or depression i5, which in my preferred embodiment is in the formof a circular walled groove, is formed in the outer face of the mountingplate is. This recess is in communication with the interior of theliquid heater by means of threaded passages it and il in the mountingplate, which passages are in registry respectively with openings to andit in the wall of the liquid heater. The openings iii and 2t are soplaced that they will be positioned.

in difierent horizontal planes respectively above and below the normallevel of the water in the liquid heater when it is used for theproduction of steam. A transparent liquid level gage glass of well knowndesign is placed over the recess ill strument panel as it appears whenthe boiler and is removably held in place bymeans of clampthe mountingplate to form a fluid-tight chamber within the recess iii.

A threaded passage 27 is provided through the upper portion of theinstrument mounting panel l3 and in registering alinement with anopening 28 in the wall of the liquid heater. Mounted in the passage 21is the connection bushing 25 of a vapor pressure and vacuum gage havinga dial face 3! calibrated to indicate vacuum in inches of mercury andvapor pressure in pounds per square inch.

A separate sheet metal cover or panel 33, provided with a circularopening through which may protrude the pressure gage 3d and having avertical slot provided therein in registering relation with the liquidlevel gage glass and groove is removably mounted on the plate it. Thiscover is removably held in place at the top by means ot the bezel ring32 of the pressure gage and at the bottom by meansof a single screw 3%which ongages the instrument mounting plate so as to mount the panel 33in predetermlned'alignment with the plate l3 with the edges of the panel33 overlapping the edges oi the opening 62' formed in the casing i2,thereby substantially closing said opening as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 5 and6,

When the liquid heater is used for the generation of steam it will hefilled with water to a proper height as indicated by the marker ill onthe cover 33. A small portion of the water in the boiler will flowthrough the opening and pad-- sage ll into the chamber formed by therecess l5 and the liquid level gage glass 22 and the height of the waterin this chamber may be observed on the gage glass as seen through theopening 3-35 in the cover. Vapor pressure in the chamher 35 will beequalized by means of the passage it and opening 20 the mounting plateand liquid heater wall. respective'iy.

When the boiler is to be used a hot water heating system, the boiler iscompletely filled with water and hence'the water level gage can serve nouseful purpose. Therefore, in accordance with my present invention thewater level gage glass 22 may be entirely removed from the boiler and aspecial form of L-shaped thermometer lid is provided to take the placeof the water level gage glass. This thermometer to has the bulb legthereof formed to fit inside of a special well ll which in turn isarranged to form a fluid-tight Junction with the openings ill and 25formed in the boiler at the bottom end of the water level I groove l5.The indicating leg of the thermometer do is arranged so that thetemperature calibrations thereon register within the slotted opening 35formed in the cover plate 33.

A description will now be given of the manner in which my improvedinstrumentpanel may be converted to give. indication of hydrostaticpressure and of water temperature when the boiler is used for theproduction of hot water. Cover 3%. pressure gage 30, and gage glass 22with its fastening means are removed from the instrument mounting plate.The bulb leg of a special L- shaped thermometer is then inserted intothe thermometer well M which protrudes into the interior of the liquidheater through passage It in the mounting plate and opening 2| in thewall of the liquid heater and which is fastened in place by means of thethreaded packing bushing 42 which is screwed into the passage H. Theother end of the thermometer upon which isthe temperature indicatingscale is held vertically in place by means of spring clips 43 which aresecured to the instrument mounting panel by means of screws 44. A screwthreaded plug 45 is then screwed into the passage IS in the instrumentmounting panel to prevent escape of water from the interior 0! theliquid heater through the opening 20 in the liquid heater wall. Analtitude or hydrostatic pressure gage 46 is mounted in the passage 21 inthe instrument mounting plate by means of the screw threaded bushing 41,and is provided with a dial face 48 which is calibrated to read in feetpressure head. The instrument panel cover 33 is then mounted aspreviously described in connection with the use of the liquid heater asa steam generator.

The liquid heater will be completely filled with water and thethermometer kit which has its bulb submerged therein will be responsiveto the temperature of the water which will be indicated on thethermometer scale as observed through the opening 325 in the cover Thehydrostatic pressure gage t6 will be responsive to the pressure headwithin the boiler which will be indicated on the dial race do.

What I claim as new and desire to obtain by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

1. In combination a convertible steam and hot water boiler having a pairof aligned openings in a side wall thereof, one above and one below theboiler water line, and provided with a water level groove Joining saidopenings, a removable water level gage glass provided with removablefastening meansfor sealing the glass over said openings and groove, aheat insulating casing for the boiler provided with a removable panel inspaced apart relation with the boiler and having an open slot therein inregistering relation with said water gage glass and groove,

2. A convertible steam and hot water boiler having an instrumentmounting plate. on the exterior of a side wall thereof and provided witha plurality or interchangeable steam and hot water instrument mountingconnections communicating with the interior of the boiler, one or moreinstruments mounted on said plate for indicating boiler conditions, aheat insulating enclosing casing for the boiler having a separatelyremovable panel provided with separate openings for registering withsaid instruments and provided with means for mounting the panel in apredetermined spaced relation with said instrument mounting plate.

3. A convertible steam and hot water boiler having an instrumentmounting plate on the exterior of a side wall thereof and provided withone or more interchangeable steam and hot water instrument mountingconnections communieating with the interior of the boiler, a heatinsulatlng enclosing casing for the boiler having an opening thereinopposite said mounting plate, one or more instruments for indicatingboiler conditions mounted on said plate and extending through saidopening, a separately removable recessed instrument panel overlappingthe edges of said opening and having separate instrument openings formedtherein for registering with said instruments, and means for mountingsaid panel in a predetermined alignment with said instrument mountingplate to substantially'close the opening in said casing.

4. In combination, a convertible steam and hot water boiler having aninstrument connection plate joined to the side wall thereof and providedwith an opening communicating with the interior of the boiler, a heatinsulating enclosing casing for the boiler provided with an openin:opposite said plate, a. separately removable panel overlapping the edgesof said opening and provided with a vertical slot with the bottomthereof in registering relation with said opening in said plate, and anL-shaped thermometer having means for removably mounting the bulb legthereof within the boiler through said opening plate and panel inregistering relation with said slot in said panel.

HENRY S. WOODRUFF.

